Who is Matteo Materazzi, Marco’s brother fighting ALS
Matteo Materazzi, born April 27, 1976, is the older brother of Marco Materazzi, former Inter footballer and World champion in 2006 with the Italian national team. The son of Giuseppe Materazzi, a historic Italian soccer coach, Matteo has followed a different path but still close to the world of sports: he is a prosecutor, television pundit and respected figure in the national soccer scene. However, his name has recently made headlines for a dramatic personal affair: since September 2024 he has been battling a rare and aggressive form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS.
The first signs of the disease appeared in March 2024, when Matthew began limping and dragging his left foot. Within a few months, his condition deteriorated dramatically: he lost weight, stopped walking, and was soon confined to a wheelchair. On September 4, 2024, the official diagnosis came at the Nemo Center in Rome, where doctors identified a rare genetic mutation underlying the ALS that afflicts him. Since then, the disease has not stopped advancing: by the end of December Matteo had completely lost the use of his legs, and today he only moves his hands, while his respiratory function is also beginning to suffer.
In this very hard struggle, alongside Matteo is his wife, Maura Soldati, who has chosen to go public with their battle. Maura has started a fundraising campaign on GoFundMe to fund an experimental therapy in the United States. It is a personalized ASO (antisense oligonucleotide) treatment, developed by Columbia University, that could directly target the genetic mutation responsible for the disease. It is a faint hope, but a real one. The cost? About $1.5 million.
Despite the huge amount of money, the public response was immediate: more than 25,000 euros were raised in just a few hours. Fans, friends, sports personalities and ordinary citizens rallied to support the cause, impressed by the transparency and courage of the Materazzi family. In a long post on Instagram, Maura recounted the rapid descent into the disease and the need to react: “This disease leaves little hope, but there is a small light on the horizon. Tailored treatments are needed, but with your help it will be easier.”
The couple has two children, ages 16 and 19, who are coping with this situation that is as difficult as it is unfair. The decision to go public about Matthew’s illness was not an easy one, but it is motivated by a desire to pave a way for other patients affected by rare forms of ALS, who are often excluded from conventional treatment protocols.
